Core word of the week planner: a free one-page term plan

How to use the planner

1. Write in the words before the term starts. One word per row, one row per week. The sheet has twelve rows, which covers most terms; print a second copy for a longer one.
2. Plan where each word will happen. Write real routines and places, not general ones: “snack, the class door, art”, not “all day”. Three or more a week is plenty.
3. Pick two or three phrases. The word plus one more: open it, help open. These are what the adults will say and point to.
4. Add one book, song or game that uses the word many times, so there is at least one moment a day built around it.
5. Share it. Post the planner by the door, give every adult in the room a copy, and send the week’s note for home on the first day.
6. Fill in “What we noticed” at the end of the week. Write down looks, reaches, touches and any use of the word, by any learner. These notes help you plan the next term.

Choosing the words for a term

• Words that work all day. A word used at snack, in play and at home gets far more practice than a word that only fits one lesson.
• A mix of jobs. Over a term, include words for asking (more, want), for directing (go, stop, open), for sharing (look, like), for people (I, you), little words (not, up) and a question (what).
• Words that join earlier ones. Once want and like are familiar, I turns them into short sentences.
• Words on the learners’ own boards. Model on the board or device each learner uses, so the word they see is in the place they will find it.
• Words that fit the term. Plan around what is coming: open in a week of birthday presents, eat in a cooking week, up before a trip to the playground.

A row, filled in

The planner has one example row printed at the top, in gray, so new team members can see how to fill it in. Here is what it can look like in a class:

Our 32 weeks, as a starting order

If you don’t have a word list yet, start with ours. Each week has its own page with ideas for every routine and a printable mini board. Weeks 1 to 8, 9 to 16, 17 to 24 and 25 to 32 make four terms of eight words, one sheet each, or change the order to suit your learners.

Week and word	Good for
Week 1: more	asking for more of something fun
Week 2: go	starting things
Week 3: stop	stopping what isn’t wanted
Week 4: help	asking for help
Week 5: all done	ending things calmly
Week 6: want	asking and choosing
Week 7: look	sharing what you notice
Week 8: not	disagreeing and correcting
Week 9: like	giving an opinion
Week 10: open	asking for something to be opened
Week 11: I	talking about yourself
Week 12: eat	meals, snacks and pretend play
Week 13: up	saying which way
Week 14: you	talking to someone, taking turns
Week 15: again	repeating something, trying again
Week 16: what	asking a question
Week 17: where	asking where things and people are
Week 18: play	asking someone to play, joining in
Week 19: in	saying where something goes
Week 20: put	placing things: in, on, down
Week 21: big	describing size
Week 22: get	fetching things, getting up and out
Week 23: make	making things, and making things happen
Week 24: good	saying how things are and how you feel
Week 25: down	going down, sitting down, turning it down
Week 26: yes	agreeing and accepting
Week 27: give	handing things over, sharing
Week 28: little	small things and small amounts
Week 29: on	switching things on, and places
Week 30: need	saying what can’t wait
Week 31: bad	saying that something is wrong
Week 32: we	doing things together, sharing memories

Planning as a team

The planner works best when every adult knows this week’s word. Give each adult two routines to cover, so the word turns up all day instead of only in therapy. A five-minute check on Friday is enough: what happened, and does the word need another week? At the end of the term, read down the last column together and choose which words to keep in focus next term. A focus word is a reminder for the adults, not a limit: keep modeling every word you say that is on the board.

For families

Families can use the same sheet: one row a week on the fridge, with home routines in the third column. Send it home with the one-page AAC modeling at home handout, and with each week’s page, which ends with a note for home.

Common questions